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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. court — of law
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a match
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. game — wild animals
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. court — for sport
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — of a king
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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