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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ball — a great time
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. court — of law
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — of a king
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. arm — part of the body

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