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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. court — of a king
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. lean — to bend
  6. staff — a stick
  7. club — for golf
  8. staff — employees
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — the fish
  11. court — for sport
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. row — a line
  19. court — of law
  20. lean — thin
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. club — a group
  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