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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — of a king
  3. hand — in cards
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. roll — a cake
  12. court — for sport
  13. hand — help
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. roll — a list
  22. court — of law
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mate — a friend

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