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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.

Make a worksheet

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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. court — of law
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. court — for sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — the fish
  9. can — a tin
  10. mug — to rob
  11. court — of a king
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mug — a cup
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. mug — a face
  22. can — to be able to
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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