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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. suit — in cards
  5. court — for sport
  6. hand — help
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. land — ground
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. land — a country
  15. pass — a permit
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. land — to come down
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hand — in cards

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