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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. capital — money
  4. foot — a measure
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. court — for sport
  13. track — a song
  14. craft — a skill
  15. capital — a city
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. track — a path
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. track — to keep track
  21. court — of a king
  22. tube — a container
  23. court — of law
  24. capital — a big letter

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