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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. court — of law
  3. bass — low music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. firm — a company
  7. tear — from crying
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. cue — a signal
  11. firm — decided
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. bass — the fish
  15. land — a country
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. firm — steady
  19. tear — from crying
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cue — a hint
  22. tear — to rip
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bass — the instrument

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