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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. court — of law
  4. game — a match
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chip — for betting
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chip — to eat
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ball — a dance
  11. court — of a king
  12. rest — a break
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. court — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lean — thin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. craft — boats
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rest — what's left

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