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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rest — a break
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mug — to rob
  9. plane — a tool
  10. court — for sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mug — a cup
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. court — of a king
  23. mug — a face
  24. sharp — with an edge

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