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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bound — obliged
  5. roll — a list
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wax — to grow
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cap — a hat
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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