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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. court — of a king
  3. toast — bread
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bound — obliged
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. bound — certain
  10. field — a subject
  11. bound — tied together
  12. field — for sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. object — to protest
  15. mark — a grade
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. field — farmland
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. toast — the most admired

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