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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. present — there
  3. key — in music
  4. present — the time now
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. row — to paddle
  7. present — a gift
  8. row — a line
  9. band — a music group
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. key — the most important part
  14. band — a ring
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. hand — help
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. key — for a lock
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. band — a rubber band

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