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

Word bank: bore · foot · fall · suit · lean · racket · court · chip

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. court — of law
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — clothes
  8. court — of a king
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fall — the season
  11. court — for sport
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chip — to eat
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. racket — for tennis

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