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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — of a king
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. court — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — to handle
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rest — a break
  22. court — of law
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. deal — an agreement

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