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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 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. court — of a king
  3. squash — the sport
  4. row — a line
  5. court — for sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. row — to paddle
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. perch — the fish
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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