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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. drill — the tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. club — for golf
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. stock — goods
  10. club — a group
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — shares
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. drill — a practice
  20. club — for dancing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — side of the head

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