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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rock — music
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pass — a permit
  9. court — of law
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fine — high quality
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. suit — to fit
  19. degree — from a university
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fine — all right
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fine — a penalty

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