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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — the cause
  3. can — to be able to
  4. root — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. root — of a word
  7. rock — music
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cell — in biology

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