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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. court — of law
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. court — of a king
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. board — to get on
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bore — to tire
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. scale — in music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. scale — size or range
  19. foot — a measure
  20. court — for sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bore — gave birth

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