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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. court — of a king
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chest — of your body
  6. club — a group
  7. cell — in biology
  8. court — for sport
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cell — a phone
  12. season — of the year
  13. club — for dancing
  14. kick — in football
  15. court — of law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. season — in sport
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — for golf

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