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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. land — ground
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. land — a country
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mine — for digging
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ball — a dance
  9. present — a gift
  10. land — to come down
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. bore — to drill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — to tire
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. arm — part of the body

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