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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. band — a ring
  4. court — of a king
  5. fine — high quality
  6. court — of law
  7. board — a committee
  8. shower — to wash
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pit — in a race
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. court — for sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. board — to get on
  21. shower — rain
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rush — hurry
  24. arm — part of the body

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