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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. foot — a measure
  3. court — of a king
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. present — there
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. snap — to click
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. degree — from a university
  16. present — the time now
  17. club — for golf
  18. degree — an amount
  19. club — a group
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. club — for dancing
  23. present — a gift
  24. degree — temperature

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