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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bat — the animal
  6. last — finally
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. can — to be able to
  11. board — to get on
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. court — for sport
  14. last — final
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — a committee
  18. court — of a king
  19. deal — to handle
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. court — of law
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. last — to go on

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