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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. swing — to play on
  7. toast — bread
  8. stock — shares
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. staff — employees
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. face — to point toward
  14. court — of law
  15. face — to confront
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. staff — a stick
  19. swing — in golf
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — music
  22. stock — goods
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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