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

Word bank: rest · stand · arm · row · ball · bear · present · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rest — a break
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. present — the time now
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — of a king
  13. rest — what's left
  14. row — to paddle
  15. court — of law
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. row — a line
  20. ball — a great time
  21. present — a gift
  22. stand — to bear
  23. present — there
  24. bear — the animal

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