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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. capital — money
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. capital — a city
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — a stone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. can — a tin
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fork — in a road

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