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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. court — of law
  3. prune — to trim
  4. scale — size or range
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. court — of a king
  10. cue — a hint
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. cue — a signal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cue — for pool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. scale — in music
  21. court — for sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pop — to visit

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