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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. face — to point toward
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. court — of a king
  7. lean — thin
  8. court — for sport
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. face — part of the head
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. staff — employees
  15. scale — in music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. board — a committee
  18. scale — size or range
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — to confront
  23. court — of law
  24. staff — a stick

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