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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. court — for sport
  5. band — a music group
  6. charge — electricity
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — a group
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. court — of a king
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. date — the fruit
  13. snap — to click
  14. band — a ring
  15. charge — in control
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. club — for golf
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. court — of law
  23. charge — a price
  24. club — for dancing

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