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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. drill — a practice
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. drill — the tool
  7. content — the amount
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. court — of a king
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. branch — a division
  15. court — for sport
  16. firm — steady
  17. stand — to bear
  18. deal — to handle
  19. content — happy
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. drill — army training
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stand — for spectators

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