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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: key · arm · race · mug · lie · jam · foot · pop

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — a contest
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pop — soda
  6. race — the arms race
  7. foot — a measure
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pop — to visit
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pop — music
  18. race — humankind
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mug — to rob
  21. key — for a lock
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — in music

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