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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cue — a hint
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mate — to breed
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kick — in football
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. court — of a king
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cue — for pool
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. court — for sport
  24. kick — with a leg

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