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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. court — of a king
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mark — a grade
  7. swing — in golf
  8. suit — in cards
  9. foot — a measure
  10. tear — from crying
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tear — from crying
  13. swing — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. court — for sport
  19. tear — to rip
  20. court — of law
  21. swing — to play on
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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