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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. last — finally
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. date — the fruit
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. scale — in music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chip — to eat
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. board — to get on
  15. mug — a cup
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. chip — for betting
  20. court — of a king
  21. board — a committee
  22. mug — a face
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mug — to rob

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