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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. hand — help
  3. court — for sport
  4. club — a group
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. club — for golf
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bass — low music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. court — of a king
  21. hand — in cards
  22. court — of law
  23. fork — in a road
  24. foot — a measure

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