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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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Word bank
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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: arm · hand · bound · stem · scale · pit · ground · wave

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bound — certain
  3. ground — a position
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. scale — in music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ground — crushed
  10. scale — size or range
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pit — in a race
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stem — to come from
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pit — a hole

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