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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — a committee
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pop — soda
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — finally
  10. rule — a law
  11. foot — a measure
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. pop — to visit
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. shower — rain
  20. pop — music
  21. board — to get on
  22. rule — government
  23. shower — to wash
  24. 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