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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ground — a position
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. court — of law
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. court — for sport
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ground — crushed
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. present — there
  16. foot — a measure
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — a gift
  20. ground — the earth
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. court — of a king
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — 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