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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 120 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. key — in music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rash — hasty
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mate — to breed
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. capital — a city
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. court — of law
  14. key — the most important part
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — to fit
  17. capital — money
  18. court — of a king
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rash — a series
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. suit — in cards

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