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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chip — to eat
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. date — the fruit
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pop — to visit
  10. ball — a great time
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pop — soda
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — music

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