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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. scale — size or range
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. land — ground
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. land — to come down
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. foot — a measure
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. land — a country
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. cap — a hat
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mine — for digging
  24. safe — out of danger

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