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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. court — of a king
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. suit — to fit
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. firm — steady
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ground — a position
  10. lean — thin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — to bend
  13. firm — a company
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. firm — decided
  16. suit — in cards
  17. court — of law
  18. suit — clothes
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — for sport
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bat — for baseball

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