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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. shower — rain
  3. staff — employees
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pop — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — a tin
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pop — soda
  14. shower — to wash
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. can — a tin
  17. staff — a stick
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. scale — in music
  20. staff — employees
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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