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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pit — in a race
  4. season — in sport
  5. row — a line
  6. rash — a series
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — to get on
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. board — a committee
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — of the year
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pit — a hole

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