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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. court — of law
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mate — to breed
  8. court — for sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mate — a friend
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ground — the earth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. kick — in football
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cue — a signal
  22. scale — in music
  23. ground — a position
  24. court — of a king

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