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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spell — magic
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fine — all right
  6. mug — a face
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mug — to rob
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spell — letters
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. spell — a short time
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — high quality

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