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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — for sport
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cue — a hint
  10. board — to get on
  11. drill — army training
  12. pit — a hole
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cue — a signal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — low music
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. court — of law
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. court — of a king
  22. drill — the tool
  23. board — a committee
  24. cue — for pool

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