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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. board — to get on
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. field — for sport
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. court — of a king
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. band — a ring
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ball — a great time
  18. field — farmland
  19. band — a music group
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ball — a dance
  22. board — a committee
  23. field — a subject
  24. hand — help

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