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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: club · arm · object · kick · chair · mug · scale · foot

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. chair — a leader
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. club — for dancing
  8. foot — a measure
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. object — a thing
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. club — for golf
  15. object — an aim
  16. kick — in football
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. club — a group
  20. object — to protest
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mug — a face
  24. scale — 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