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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. key — in music
  12. land — to come down
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. land — a country
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. squash — to crush
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pound — for dogs
  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