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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — a group
  7. rule — a law
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bat — the animal
  10. track — a song
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. court — for sport
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rule — government
  19. court — of a king
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. court — of law
  22. track — a path
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — to rule out

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