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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. net — for catching
  5. court — for sport
  6. club — for golf
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. court — of a king
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. ball — a dance
  15. prune — to trim
  16. net — after costs
  17. ball — a great time
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. club — a group
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. net — in sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chair — a leader
  24. court — of law

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