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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — in a race
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. game — wild animals
  9. tube — the underground
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pit — a hole
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pop — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pop — to visit
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pop — soda
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. game — a match
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. degree — from a university

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