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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fine — all right
  15. court — of law
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. court — of a king
  21. branch — a division
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pit — in a race
  24. arm — part of the body

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