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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: toast · rest · stand · kick · field · court · bulb · row

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. kick — in football
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. court — of a king
  6. rest — a break
  7. stand — to bear
  8. field — a subject
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bulb — for light
  11. field — farmland
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. row — a line
  14. field — for sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rest — what's left
  22. row — to paddle
  23. toast — bread
  24. court — for sport

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