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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. bound — obliged
  10. court — of a king
  11. club — for dancing
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pop — soda
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cap — a lid
  20. game — a match
  21. cap — a hat
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pop — music
  24. court — for sport

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