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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: mug · arm · bay · ground · mark · row · date · deal

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ground — a position
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — a cup
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mug — a face
  10. ground — the earth
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — a grade
  15. row — a line
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mug — to rob
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. ground — crushed
  23. row — to paddle
  24. date — on the calendar

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