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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tube — a container
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a dance
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. row — a line
  15. season — in sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. squash — to crush
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tube — the underground
  23. season — of the year
  24. tube — in a tire

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