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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. land — ground
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. swing — in golf
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. swing — music
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — to play on
  14. land — to come down
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spring — the season
  19. land — a country
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. content — the amount
  22. spring — of water
  23. content — happy
  24. spring — a coil

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