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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pound — a weight
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. capital — money
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. land — to come down
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. press — to push
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — ground
  17. capital — a city
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. press — a publisher
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. land — a country

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