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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — size or range
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fine — all right
  13. rest — a break
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mark — a grade
  16. scale — in music
  17. game — a match
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fine — a penalty

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