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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. drill — army training
  8. capital — a city
  9. pit — in a race
  10. saw — the tool
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. drill — the tool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. row — a line
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  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