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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. capital — money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. content — happy
  6. hand — in cards
  7. object — to protest
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. object — an aim
  12. hand — help
  13. press — to push
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. press — a publisher
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. content — the amount
  22. object — a thing
  23. hand — part of the body
  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