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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. swing — music
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. court — of law
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. swing — to play on
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. court — for sport

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