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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. charge — electricity
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kid — child
  11. foot — a measure
  12. net — in sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. charge — a price
  15. kid — to tease
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. charge — in control
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. spring — the season
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spring — a coil

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