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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: content · clip · sharp · arm · mouse · deal · court · stick

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. court — for sport
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. content — the amount
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. deal — to handle
  14. clip — to cut
  15. court — of a king
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — happy
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. clip — for paper
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. clip — a video
  24. court — of law

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