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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pop — to visit
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. court — of a king
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — music
  9. court — of law
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — for sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — a measure
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — soda
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. chest — a box
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. prune — to trim
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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