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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 · mine · fan · racket · ruler · kid · wave · court

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. court — of law
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mine — for digging
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kid — child
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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