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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · pit · chip · content · arm · wound

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pit — a hole
  6. object — to protest
  7. pit — in a race
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chip — for betting
  12. content — happy
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — an aim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chip — to eat
  17. object — a thing
  18. arm — a part of something

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