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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bear — the animal
  3. court — of a king
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chip — for betting
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. foot — the bottom

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