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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. court — of a king
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. date — the fruit
  11. court — of law
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. court — for sport
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bore — to tire
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. foot — a measure
  22. branch — a division
  23. staff — employees
  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