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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chip — for betting
  3. field — for sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — to eat
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bass — low music
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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