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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. staff — employees
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. charge — in control
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cell — in biology
  16. court — of law
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cell — a phone
  21. court — of a king
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. date — the fruit
  24. charge — a price

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