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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bore — to tire
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. court — of a king
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — of law
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bore — to drill
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mine — for digging
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. court — for sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. staff — a stick

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