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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. game — a match
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — wild animals
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wound — an injury
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stand — to bear
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wound — an injury
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  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