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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. court — of a king
  3. drill — army training
  4. land — to come down
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. drill — the tool
  8. court — of law
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. land — ground
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. court — for sport
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. land — a country
  24. drill — a practice

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