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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. court — of a king
  3. suit — clothes
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. present — there
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. court — for sport
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mine — for digging
  11. court — of law
  12. present — the time now
  13. lie — to recline
  14. suit — in cards
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. field — farmland
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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