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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. firm — a company
  4. field — a subject
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. field — farmland
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to click
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. can — to be able to
  13. court — for sport
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. court — of law
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. firm — steady
  21. field — for sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. firm — decided

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