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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. drill — army training
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. court — of law
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bear — the animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rest — a break
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. foot — the bottom
  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