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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. foot — a measure
  7. board — a committee
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. suit — in cards
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. suit — to fit
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. shower — rain
  16. game — wild animals
  17. suit — clothes
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. board — to get on
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — a match
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. jam — a tight spot

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