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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. kid — to tease
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. court — of law
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pop — music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. kid — child
  17. court — for sport
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. bulb — for light

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