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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. last — to go on
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chip — for betting
  10. last — final
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — finally
  14. scale — size or range
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pound — a weight
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — in music

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