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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. land — a country
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. land — ground
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — to get on
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pop — soda
  18. land — to come down
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. board — a committee
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. racket — for tennis

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