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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. row — to paddle
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. board — to get on
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mug — a face
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stand — to bear
  14. track — a path
  15. mug — a cup
  16. track — a song
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. board — a committee

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