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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cue — a hint
  5. ground — a position
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. court — of law
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — of a king
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fork — to eat with

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