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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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Word bank
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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: present · bulb · court · toast · ball · kid · arm · hide

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. present — there
  3. kid — child
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. court — for sport
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. present — a gift
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. toast — bread
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. court — of a king
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. kid — to tease
  18. ball — a great time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — for light
  21. present — the time now
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. court — of law
  24. toast — the most admired

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