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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: chip · court · toast · rest · foot · present · band · calf

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. foot — a measure
  4. toast — bread
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chip — to eat
  11. present — the time now
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. band — a ring
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — a break
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. court — for sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. court — of a king
  24. band — a music group

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