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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ball — a great time
  7. court — of a king
  8. drill — army training
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ball — a dance
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chair — a leader
  13. content — the amount
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. content — happy
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. court — for sport
  20. snap — to click
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. chair — to sit on

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