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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: court · stick · mouse · arm · saw · board · pit · toast

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. toast — bread
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — to get on
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. court — of law
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — a committee
  20. court — of a king
  21. saw — the tool
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. court — for sport

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