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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. court — for sport
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. board — a committee
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. track — a song
  7. court — of law
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. track — a path
  13. board — to get on
  14. court — of a king
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fine — all right
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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