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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mark — a grade
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — the time now
  7. firm — steady
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — decided
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — a gift
  12. game — a match
  13. club — for golf
  14. mark — a trace
  15. club — a group
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — a company
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. club — for dancing
  22. staff — a stick
  23. present — there
  24. staff — employees

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