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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. present — a gift
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. roll — a list
  8. rule — a law
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — there
  11. court — of law
  12. present — the time now
  13. roll — a cake
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — a tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. court — for sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rule — government
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rule — to rule out

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