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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: jam · can · court · stem · ground · foot · lean · saw

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lean — thin
  3. court — of a king
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. court — of law
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — crushed
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. court — for sport
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ground — a position

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