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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mug — a face
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rock — music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. root — the cause
  15. mug — to rob
  16. root — of a plant
  17. file — a tool
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. root — of a word
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. file — a document

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