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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. firm — a company
  3. court — of a king
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cue — a signal
  7. firm — steady
  8. pop — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. court — for sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. court — of law
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. firm — decided
  20. shower — rain
  21. cue — for pool
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cue — a hint
  24. coach — a trainer

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