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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — the season
  7. court — of a king
  8. land — a country
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. court — for sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chair — a leader
  13. land — ground
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rest — a break
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fall — to drop
  19. court — of law
  20. land — to come down
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rest — what's left
  24. roll — a list

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