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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. key — in music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. court — of a king
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. row — to paddle
  12. key — for a lock
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bass — low music
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. foot — a measure
  18. court — of law
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bowl — to roll

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