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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. court — for sport
  4. fork — in a road
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. court — of law
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kid — child
  15. row — a line
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. court — of a king
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kid — to tease
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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