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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chest — of your body
  4. current — of water
  5. scale — size or range
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. court — of a king
  8. mug — a face
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chest — a box
  16. scale — in music
  17. mug — a cup
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mug — to rob
  20. court — of law
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. court — for sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. current — electric

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