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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. current — happening now
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. current — electric
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. suit — in cards
  11. current — of water
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. net — in sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — after costs
  20. suit — clothes
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. net — for catching
  24. court — of law

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