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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. scale — in music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. mark — a grade
  9. root — the cause
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mate — a partner
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mark — a trace
  18. club — for golf
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mine — for digging
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — a group
  24. scale — for weighing

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