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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. game — wild animals
  4. staff — employees
  5. firm — a company
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. firm — decided
  9. chip — to eat
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. firm — steady
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. game — a match
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. staff — employees
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com