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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. staff — employees
  3. field — farmland
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lean — thin
  8. club — a group
  9. pound — a weight
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. staff — employees
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. club — for golf
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. club — for dancing
  24. sharp — clever

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