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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. land — ground
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pitch — completely
  9. land — a country
  10. mate — a friend
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. land — to come down
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fine — all right
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mate — to breed

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