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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. scale — size or range
  8. hand — help
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. scale — in music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lean — to bend
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. hand — in cards

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