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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. game — a match
  3. swing — in golf
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ground — a position
  7. face — part of the head
  8. can — to be able to
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rest — what's left
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ground — crushed
  18. face — to confront
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rest — a break
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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