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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pop — to visit
  3. net — in sport
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. court — for sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — soda
  9. ball — a great time
  10. court — of law
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. content — the amount
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pop — music
  19. net — after costs
  20. content — happy
  21. court — of a king
  22. ball — a dance
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ball — a round shape

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