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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cap — a hat
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. court — for sport
  13. row — a line
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. court — of a king
  18. cap — of ice
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. court — of law
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. staff — employees

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