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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stock — goods
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stock — shares

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