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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — of a king
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chip — to eat
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. court — for sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chip — for betting
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — in a road
  19. field — a subject
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. field — farmland
  23. court — of law
  24. field — for sport

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