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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. track — to keep track
  4. swing — in golf
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. swing — to play on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stock — goods
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. track — a song
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. race — a contest
  16. stock — shares
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. race — humankind
  19. swing — music
  20. race — the arms race
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. track — a path
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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