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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. court — of a king
  3. ground — a position
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. march — the month
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. key — for a lock
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. march — music
  14. court — for sport
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. court — of law
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. foot — a measure
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ground — crushed
  23. march — the month
  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