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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a committee
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. content — the amount
  13. board — to get on
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. kick — in football
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. can — a tin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hide — animal skin

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