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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. object — to protest
  3. ground — a position
  4. foot — a measure
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. season — of the year
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bank — of a river
  16. object — a thing
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. season — in sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. object — an aim
  22. bank — for money
  23. deal — to handle
  24. arm — a part of something

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