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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. court — of a king
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. charge — in control
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. capital — money
  17. court — of law
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stand — to bear
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. capital — a city
  24. court — for sport

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