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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: ground · lean · foot · arm · deal · jam · sharp · kid

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. sharp — clever
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lean — thin
  13. ground — the earth
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. kid — child
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. foot — a measure
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lean — to bend
  21. kid — to tease
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ground — a position
  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