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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bound — obliged
  3. face — to confront
  4. court — for sport
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rest — what's left
  11. club — for dancing
  12. court — of law
  13. face — part of the head
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bound — certain
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. court — of a king
  22. kick — in football
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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