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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. court — for sport
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. squash — the sport
  6. foot — a measure
  7. club — a group
  8. court — of law
  9. club — for dancing
  10. court — of a king
  11. deal — to handle
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. club — for golf
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. suit — to fit
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. suit — clothes
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. deal — a big deal

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