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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bound — tied together
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cap — a lid
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rest — a break
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. court — of a king
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. game — a match
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bound — certain
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. court — for sport

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