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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. net — after costs
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. court — of law
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — in sport
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. net — for catching
  17. bat — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. court — for sport
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bay — a horse colour

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