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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. firm — decided
  5. chest — a box
  6. court — of a king
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. swing — music
  11. rule — government
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chest — of your body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — of law
  20. chest — of your body
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rule — a law
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. arm — part of the body

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