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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. spring — the season
  4. net — in sport
  5. spring — a coil
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. ground — crushed
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — a position
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. track — a path
  15. board — to get on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a committee
  18. net — after costs
  19. ground — the earth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. track — to keep track
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spring — of water
  24. net — for catching

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