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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pitcher · toast · sharp · foot · chest · court · bore

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — of a king
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. bore — to drill
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chest — of your body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. court — of law
  24. sharp — clever

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