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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chest — of your body
  3. court — of law
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. court — for sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — a hint
  9. hand — help
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. net — after costs
  12. hand — in cards
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. court — of a king
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chest — a box
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. net — in sport
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. net — for catching
  24. toast — bread

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