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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — a signal
  5. present — there
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — shares
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cue — for pool
  14. present — a gift
  15. bass — low music
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stock — goods
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lie — to recline
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. lie — an untruth

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