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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rest — a break
  3. staff — a stick
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — of law
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. court — for sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. branch — a division
  16. rock — music
  17. foot — a measure
  18. staff — employees
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. court — of a king
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. field — a subject

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