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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lean — to bend
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. court — of a king
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lean — thin
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. chest — of your body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chest — a box
  23. court — for sport
  24. bear — the animal

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