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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cell — a phone
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. content — happy
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cell — in biology
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. field — a subject
  13. club — for golf
  14. chair — a leader
  15. content — the amount
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. club — a group
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. club — for dancing
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ruler — a monarch

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