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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. court — of a king
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. staff — a stick
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. court — of law
  17. staff — employees
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. staff — employees
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. foot — part of the body

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