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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. staff — employees
  4. court — of law
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pop — to visit
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. present — a gift
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pop — soda
  15. court — for sport
  16. present — the time now
  17. court — of a king
  18. scale — size or range
  19. foot — a measure
  20. scale — in music
  21. hand — help
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hand — in cards
  24. present — there

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