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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: foot · perch · cue · net · court · chest · cap · lie

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — for catching
  7. chest — a box
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — after costs
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. court — of a king
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cap — of ice
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chest — of your 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