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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: arm · drill · game · foot · rash · mark · chest · ground

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rash — a series
  5. drill — a practice
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mark — a grade
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rash — hasty
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mark — a trace
  12. game — a match
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ground — the earth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. drill — army training
  21. ground — a position
  22. chest — of your body
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ground — crushed

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