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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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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 · pit · mark · chair · club · rest · shower

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rest — what's left
  3. club — for golf
  4. chair — a leader
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mark — a grade
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. key — for a lock
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. shower — rain
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rest — a break
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. shower — to wash
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. key — in music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. club — a group
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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