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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. plane — a tool
  7. degree — from a university
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bank — for money
  10. drill — army training
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. degree — an amount
  15. drill — the tool
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bank — of a river
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spell — magic
  20. club — a group
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spell — a short time
  23. drill — a practice
  24. arm — part of the body

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