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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. net — in sport
  3. pop — soda
  4. kid — child
  5. track — to keep track
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. net — for catching
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. court — for sport
  13. track — a path
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — to get on
  16. pop — music
  17. track — a song
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — of law
  20. pop — to visit
  21. net — after costs
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. court — of a king
  24. kid — to tease

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