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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. capital — money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — in football
  6. firm — decided
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. firm — steady
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. firm — a company
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. capital — a city
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a great time
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — a friend
  24. arm — a part of something

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