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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cue — a hint
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of a king
  5. degree — an amount
  6. court — of law
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — for pool
  9. board — to get on
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rash — a series
  13. board — a committee
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. court — for sport
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cue — a signal
  24. degree — from a university

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