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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. court — for sport
  2. band — a ring
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. field — for sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. court — of law
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pass — a permit
  14. field — a subject
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. court — of a king
  20. fine — all right
  21. band — a music group
  22. field — farmland
  23. pass — to succeed
  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