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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. field — a subject
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. field — for sport
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. field — farmland
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — in music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mate — a friend
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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