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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. court — of a king
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. court — for sport
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fine — all right
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. court — of law
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. scale — in music
  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