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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pop — soda
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cell — a phone
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pop — music
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bat — the animal
  24. foot — a measure

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