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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. club — for golf
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. dip — to sink
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chest — a box
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. drill — army training
  13. chest — of your body
  14. club — a group
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chest — of your body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitch — completely
  24. dip — to dunk

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