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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — of law
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. file — a tool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. file — a document
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. arm — part of the body

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