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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. court — for sport
  6. board — to get on
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ground — a position
  9. shower — rain
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ground — crushed
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. court — of law
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. court — of a king
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. foot — a measure
  22. board — a committee
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fan — to cool the air

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