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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — the earth
  5. object — to protest
  6. perch — the fish
  7. board — to get on
  8. track — a song
  9. ground — crushed
  10. object — a thing
  11. track — to keep track
  12. object — an aim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. track — a path
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — a position
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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