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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mug — to rob
  3. club — for golf
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. court — of a king
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. suit — clothes
  11. court — of law
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mug — a face
  14. sharp — clever
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. court — for sport
  22. club — a group
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cold — the Cold War

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