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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. staff — employees
  3. court — of a king
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — to eat
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. can — to be able to
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. court — of law
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. court — for sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. content — the amount
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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