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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mate — a partner
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mate — to breed
  9. chest — a box
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fine — high quality
  15. board — a committee
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — all right
  18. court — of a king
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mate — a friend
  22. board — to get on
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. arm — a part of something

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