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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. court — of law
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. spell — letters
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. shower — rain
  10. spell — a short time
  11. court — for sport
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. court — of a king
  14. fine — all right
  15. band — a ring
  16. spell — magic
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bore — to drill
  22. shower — to wash
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fine — high quality

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