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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. tube — the underground
  3. court — of law
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. can — a tin
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. band — a music group
  13. ball — a dance
  14. plane — a tool
  15. court — of a king
  16. tube — a container
  17. band — a ring
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. court — for sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ball — a great time

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