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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. court — of a king
  3. spell — letters
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. charge — in control
  8. rash — a series
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — the season
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spring — of water
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. spring — a coil
  19. court — of law
  20. rash — hasty
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. court — for sport
  24. rash — on the skin

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