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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: foot · stand · bear · rule · tube · chest · court · mug

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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. rule — government
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. chest — of your body
  11. court — for sport
  12. rule — a law
  13. tube — the underground
  14. foot — a measure
  15. court — of law
  16. mug — to rob
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stand — to bear
  20. court — of a king
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chest — a box
  24. stand — on your feet

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