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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. land — ground
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. land — a country
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bore — to tire
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. roll — a list
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rash — hasty
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. land — to come down

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