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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mine — for digging
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. charge — electricity
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — a tin
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. charge — a price
  13. court — of law
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — to be able to
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  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