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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. current — of water
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. court — of law
  8. current — happening now
  9. court — for sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. scale — in music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — tied together
  14. court — of a king
  15. bound — obliged
  16. current — electric
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — size or range
  23. board — to get on
  24. bulb — for light

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