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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. court — of a king
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. court — for sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. file — a document
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. file — a tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. present — there
  21. pop — music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. court — of law
  24. present — the time now

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