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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. content — the amount
  6. swing — music
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bat — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mug — a cup
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mug — to rob
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. content — happy
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rock — music
  24. mug — a face

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