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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. field — for sport
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. chair — a leader
  9. field — a subject
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. field — farmland
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cell — in biology
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. drill — army training
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cell — a phone
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mouse — the animal

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