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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. suit — to fit
  6. drill — a practice
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — in cards
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. drill — army training
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ground — a position
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. court — for sport
  24. dip — a sauce

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