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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: court · bulb · toast · foot · bay · key · clip · straw

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. court — of law
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. toast — bread
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. key — for a lock
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. foot — a measure
  15. clip — for paper
  16. court — for sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. clip — a video
  21. key — in music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. key — the most important part

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