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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. court — of a king
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mate — a partner
  5. court — of law
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. court — for sport
  11. mate — a friend
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. game — a match
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mate — to breed
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pound — a weight

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