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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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 — for spectators
  3. can — a tin
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — of ice
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bat — the animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cue — a hint
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bank — for money
  23. cue — for pool
  24. arm — part of the body

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