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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. can — a tin
  5. march — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. present — the time now
  8. firm — steady
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. foot — a measure
  11. present — a gift
  12. chest — a box
  13. court — of law
  14. firm — decided
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. can — to be able to
  17. court — of a king
  18. present — there
  19. rule — a law
  20. march — the month
  21. court — for sport
  22. march — the month
  23. firm — a company
  24. rule — government

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