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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · field · scale · pit · row · object · present · mouse

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. row — a line
  5. pit — in a race
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. field — farmland
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. row — to paddle
  13. scale — in music
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. field — for sport
  20. present — a gift
  21. object — an aim
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. object — to protest
  24. scale — size or range

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