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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ground — a position
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — all right
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ground — the earth
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mine — for digging
  14. swing — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — in music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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