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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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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: bore · foot · rest · coach · jam · date · court · ball

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rest — what's left
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. court — of a king
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rest — what's left
  10. court — of law
  11. ball — a great time
  12. foot — a measure
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rest — a break
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. court — for sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ball — a dance
  24. foot — the bottom

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