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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. court — of a king
  7. mine — for digging
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. court — for sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rash — a series
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. capital — money
  17. vault — a safe
  18. capital — a city
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. court — of law
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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