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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. net — in sport
  5. key — in music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. board — to get on
  8. root — of a word
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. net — after costs
  13. key — the most important part
  14. root — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. root — the cause
  17. board — a committee
  18. current — of water
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. net — for catching
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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