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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. court — of law
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rash — a series
  13. foot — a measure
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. chest — a box
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stock — shares
  21. court — for sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chest — of your body
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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