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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. object — a thing
  6. deal — to handle
  7. prune — to trim
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. swing — to play on
  10. object — to protest
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. swing — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. capital — a city
  16. rock — music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rock — a stone
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. object — an aim
  24. prune — the fruit

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