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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. firm — decided
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. firm — steady
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fork — in a road
  9. squash — to crush
  10. suit — to fit
  11. squash — the sport
  12. suit — in cards
  13. root — of a word
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. suit — clothes
  16. firm — a company
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — of a plant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — the cause
  24. calf — of the leg

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