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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. scale — in music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. season — of the year
  14. court — of a king
  15. scale — size or range
  16. season — in sport
  17. court — of law
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. court — for sport
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. arm — part of the body

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