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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pass — a permit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. press — to push
  7. spell — magic
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spell — letters
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ground — a position
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ground — crushed
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. foot — part of the body

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