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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. club — a group
  5. lean — thin
  6. pop — soda
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. club — for golf
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pound — a weight
  15. suit — to fit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. root — of a plant
  22. suit — clothes
  23. saw — the tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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