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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. file — a tool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. shower — to wash
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. degree — an amount
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — after costs
  14. foot — a measure
  15. degree — from a university
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. degree — temperature
  20. shower — rain
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. file — a document
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mouse — the animal

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