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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. firm — steady
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. game — wild animals
  12. shower — rain
  13. game — a match
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bore — to drill
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — of law
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — to wash

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