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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. season — in sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. game — wild animals
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. game — a match
  12. spring — the season
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. foot — a measure
  23. board — a committee
  24. season — of the year

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