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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. court — of a king
  5. rest — a break
  6. content — happy
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. court — for sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. object — a thing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — to protest
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. object — an aim
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. court — of law
  19. rest — what's left
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rest — what's left
  24. content — the amount

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