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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. suit — in cards
  5. court — of law
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — a tin
  9. suit — to fit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rule — a law
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rule — government
  18. tube — the underground
  19. can — to be able to
  20. court — for sport
  21. field — for sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. court — of a king

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