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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. net — for catching
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rest — what's left
  12. net — after costs
  13. rest — a break
  14. board — a committee
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. board — to get on
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. net — in sport
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. row — a line
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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