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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hand · toast · root · chair · mug · court · ball · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mug — a face
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. hand — help
  5. court — of law
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. court — of a king
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mug — to rob
  14. root — of a plant
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. foot — a measure
  18. court — for sport
  19. root — of a word
  20. hand — in cards
  21. root — the cause
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ball — a dance

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