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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. court — for sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. chair — a leader
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chest — of your body
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bat — the animal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. chest — a box
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. court — of a king
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — of law
  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