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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. roll — a list
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stock — shares
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. spell — a short time
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cue — a hint
  13. court — for sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. roll — a cake
  16. court — of law
  17. foot — a measure
  18. file — a tool
  19. spell — letters
  20. fall — the season
  21. stock — goods
  22. spell — magic
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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