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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. track — a song
  4. spell — a short time
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. land — to come down
  8. pit — a hole
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — temperature
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. spell — magic
  17. land — a country
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. track — a path
  21. degree — an amount
  22. spell — letters
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. land — ground

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