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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. board — to get on
  4. spell — letters
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. court — of a king
  7. firm — a company
  8. foot — a measure
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. snap — to click
  12. spell — a short time
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. board — a committee
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. court — for sport
  17. spell — magic
  18. board — a flat piece

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