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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · snap · mate · current · arm · court · cue · perch

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. court — of law
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. court — of a king
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mate — to breed
  7. court — for sport
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. snap — to click
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — happening now
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chair — a leader
  14. current — electric
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mate — a partner
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. current — of water
  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