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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. field — a subject
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. field — for sport
  12. key — in music
  13. board — a committee
  14. field — farmland
  15. net — after costs
  16. key — the most important part
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. key — for a lock
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. net — for catching

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