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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. march — the month
  3. court — of law
  4. march — the month
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bound — obliged
  8. kick — in football
  9. hand — in cards
  10. court — for sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. hand — help
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bound — certain
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — of a king
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. staff — employees
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. march — music

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