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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. charge — electricity
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. track — a song
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hand — help
  9. charge — a price
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. capital — money
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. plane — a tool
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. dip — to sink
  22. capital — a city
  23. charge — in control
  24. capital — a big letter

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