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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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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: foot · pit · bay · object · fall · ground · bat · arm

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. object — a thing
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fall — the season
  11. object — to protest
  12. ground — crushed
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. object — an aim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ground — a position
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pit — a hole

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