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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. track — a path
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. board — to get on
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. staff — employees
  10. board — a committee
  11. track — a song
  12. staff — a stick
  13. court — of a king
  14. staff — employees
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ground — crushed
  19. saw — the tool
  20. court — of law
  21. ground — a position
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. court — for sport
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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