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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. tube — a container
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. scale — size or range
  11. court — of law
  12. bat — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. court — for sport
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pass — a permit
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. court — of a king
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. scale — in music
  24. tube — in a tire

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