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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ball — a dance
  3. court — of a king
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chip — to eat
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pound — a weight
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bound — certain
  16. swing — to play on
  17. snap — to click
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bound — tied together
  21. court — for sport
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. swing — music

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