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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bass — low music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. drill — army training
  5. foot — a measure
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. bass — the fish
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. court — for sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. drill — a practice
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. racket — for tennis

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