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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. tube — the underground
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. tube — a container
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. field — farmland
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. net — in sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lie — to recline
  12. firm — a company
  13. net — after costs
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. net — for catching
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. firm — decided
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. firm — steady
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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