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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. court — of law
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rock — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. court — of a king
  17. rock — a stone
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. saw — the tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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