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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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 a king
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. hand — help
  8. rule — a law
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rule — government
  11. scale — in music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. court — of law
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. court — for sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. hand — in cards
  24. scale — size or range

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