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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. swing — music
  7. scale — in music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. court — of law
  16. swing — to play on
  17. game — wild animals
  18. court — of a king
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. court — for sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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