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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cell — in biology
  18. court — of a king
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fork — in a road
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. arm — part of the body

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