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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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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: hand · mouse · arm · deal · safe · court · mark · land

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. deal — to handle
  3. court — of a king
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. land — to come down
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mark — a grade
  14. court — of law
  15. hand — help
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — for sport
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. land — ground
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. hand — in cards
  22. land — a country
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mark — a trace

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