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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. game — a match
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pit — in a race
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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