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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 120 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cap — of ice
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — a lid
  5. tube — a container
  6. foot — a measure
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. club — for dancing
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rush — hurry
  14. net — in sport
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. net — for catching
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — a hat
  23. net — after costs
  24. foot — the bottom

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