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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ball — a dance
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stem — to come from
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chip — to eat
  8. can — to be able to
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. can — a tin
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. toast — bread
  24. chip — in a computer

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