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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cell — in biology
  3. firm — decided
  4. mug — a cup
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. firm — a company
  7. court — of law
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — for sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cell — a phone
  19. firm — steady
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. court — of a king

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