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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fine — all right
  7. cap — a hat
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — the fish
  12. court — of a king
  13. last — final
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bass — low music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. foot — a measure
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. cap — of ice
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fine — a penalty

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