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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. court — of a king
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. court — of law
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the fish
  11. root — of a plant
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ball — a great time
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. root — of a word
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ball — a dance
  22. court — for sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. root — the cause

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