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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — all right
  5. wound — an injury
  6. court — of a king
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. court — of law
  10. ball — a great time
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. court — for sport
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fine — high quality
  19. press — newspapers
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a dance
  22. press — to push
  23. bear — the animal
  24. date — on the calendar

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