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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ball — a dance
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. march — the month
  7. net — after costs
  8. bound — certain
  9. net — for catching
  10. current — happening now
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bound — obliged
  16. current — electric
  17. march — music
  18. net — in sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ball — a great time
  22. current — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — the month

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