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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mate — a friend
  3. scale — in music
  4. drill — a practice
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. land — a country
  8. mate — a partner
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. drill — the tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. land — ground
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. land — to come down
  23. game — a match
  24. mate — to breed

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