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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rest — a break
  3. court — of law
  4. pound — a weight
  5. kick — in football
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bass — the fish
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. court — for sport
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. court — of a king
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bass — low music
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to click
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pitcher — a jug

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