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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cue — a hint
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pound — a weight
  5. court — for sport
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. court — of a king
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cue — a signal
  15. field — a subject
  16. foot — a measure
  17. field — farmland
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. game — a match
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. court — of law

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