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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. file — a line of people
  3. court — of a king
  4. land — a country
  5. file — a document
  6. court — of law
  7. press — newspapers
  8. land — to come down
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. firm — decided
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. press — to push
  14. cap — a lid
  15. plane — a tool
  16. file — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. court — for sport
  19. firm — steady
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. land — ground
  23. firm — a company
  24. press — a publisher

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