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

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — rain
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. squash — to crush
  8. board — to get on
  9. squash — the sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. court — for sport
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. game — a match
  18. shower — to wash
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. board — a committee

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