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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. press — newspapers
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. board — a committee
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. row — to paddle
  16. date — the fruit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. board — to get on
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. row — a line

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