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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. court — of a king
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pitch — completely
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. shower — rain
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. court — of law
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cap — of ice
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cap — a hat
  17. court — for sport
  18. toast — bread
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cap — a lid

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