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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · foot · cap · arm · sharp · pit · fine · season

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cap — a lid
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mate — to breed
  10. season — of the year
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cap — a hat
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — in sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pit — in a race
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. foot — a measure

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