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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: row · spring · foot · game · arm · object · mug · ball

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mug — to rob
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. game — a match
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spring — the season
  9. object — an aim
  10. mug — a face
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. ball — a great time
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. game — wild animals
  19. object — a thing
  20. row — to paddle
  21. object — to protest
  22. ball — a dance
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. arm — a part of something

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