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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 120 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: foot · ball · court · straw · coach · bear · can · spring

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — a coil
  7. can — to be able to
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. court — for sport
  14. spring — the season
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — of law
  20. ball — a dance
  21. court — of a king
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. foot — a measure

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