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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. court — of law
  3. scale — size or range
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — for sport
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. degree — from a university
  18. foot — a measure
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. staff — a stick
  21. scale — in music
  22. race — a contest
  23. court — of a king
  24. bulb — for light

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