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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. court — for sport
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. game — wild animals
  5. kid — child
  6. court — of law
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. court — of a king
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. kid — to tease
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. suit — to fit
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. chair — a leader
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. board — a committee
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — to get on
  23. suit — in cards
  24. game — a match

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