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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pop — to visit
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lean — to bend
  7. object — to protest
  8. chip — for betting
  9. object — a thing
  10. track — a song
  11. object — an aim
  12. pop — music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fine — all right
  20. pop — soda
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lean — thin
  23. track — a path
  24. arm — part of the body

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