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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. court — for sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — a tin
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tear — from crying
  11. can — to be able to
  12. court — of a king
  13. ball — a great time
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. squash — to crush
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. court — of law
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. squash — the sport
  24. tear — from crying

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