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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. court — of law
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ground — a position
  12. craft — boats
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. court — for sport
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ground — crushed
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. court — of a king
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. date — the fruit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. sharp — exactly

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