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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. chip — for betting
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stock — shares
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. club — for golf
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. suit — to fit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stock — goods
  20. bark — to shout
  21. club — for dancing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chip — to eat
  24. club — a group

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