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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ground — the earth
  3. court — for sport
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. press — newspapers
  7. board — a committee
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. ground — a position
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. board — to get on
  15. court — of a king
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fork — in a road
  20. press — to push
  21. roll — a cake
  22. press — a publisher
  23. roll — a list
  24. court — of law

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