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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. firm — decided
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. club — for golf
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. foot — a measure
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wind — moving air
  13. club — a group
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. content — happy
  16. chair — a leader
  17. firm — a company
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. firm — steady
  21. content — the amount
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wind — moving air

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