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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — a group
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. club — for golf
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — a trace
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bat — in an idiom

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