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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. court — of law
  3. sharp — clever
  4. band — a ring
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. prune — to trim
  9. court — for sport
  10. band — a music group
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. prune — to trim
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. court — of a king
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. foot — a measure
  24. deal — to handle

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