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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bound — obliged
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. court — of a king
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bound — certain

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