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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · bear · court · cell · present · foot

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. foot — a measure
  5. present — the time now
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cell — a phone
  11. present — there
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. court — of a king
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — part of the body

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