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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bank — of a river
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bank — for money
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ground — crushed
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. clip — a video
  16. suit — in cards
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. clip — for paper
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ground — a position
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. scale — in music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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