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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rock — music
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — a line
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bank — of a river
  9. row — to paddle
  10. game — a match
  11. bank — for money
  12. pit — a hole
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pit — in a race
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rock — a stone
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. dip — to sink
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. squash — the vegetable

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