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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fall — the season
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fall — to drop
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mug — to rob
  11. board — to get on
  12. stem — to come from
  13. board — a committee
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mug — a cup
  16. scale — in music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ground — a position
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mug — a face
  24. court — of a king

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