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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — a skill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — goods
  16. rest — what's left
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rest — a break

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