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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. 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. foot — a measure
  2. spring — a coil
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. court — of a king
  7. spring — of water
  8. march — music
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. march — the month
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — the season
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. march — the month
  17. court — for sport
  18. 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