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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. degree — an amount
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. court — for sport
  10. foot — a measure
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. degree — from a university
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bank — of a river
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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