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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rash — hasty
  4. firm — steady
  5. rash — a series
  6. net — in sport
  7. firm — decided
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. firm — a company
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. dip — to sink

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