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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. board — to get on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. court — of a king
  5. board — a committee
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. court — of law
  11. foot — a measure
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. court — for sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fine — all right
  22. roll — a cake
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. saw — the tool

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