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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. foot — a measure
  4. file — a document
  5. chest — a box
  6. court — of a king
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. court — for sport
  9. chest — of your body
  10. file — a tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a line of people
  17. shower — rain
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. shower — to wash
  20. chest — of your body
  21. court — of law
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — of a river
  24. foot — the bottom

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