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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. suit — to fit
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. clip — to cut
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. suit — clothes
  8. court — of law
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — a video
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. field — a subject
  16. mug — to rob
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. suit — in cards
  22. court — for sport
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mug — a face

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