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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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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: pop · pit · club · arm · racket · object · lie · dip

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. 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. pit — a hole
  3. object — to protest
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — music
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — to visit
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. club — for dancing
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. club — for golf
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pop — soda
  22. pit — in a race
  23. club — a group
  24. 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