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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. face — to point toward
  4. current — happening now
  5. court — for sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. board — to get on
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. court — of law
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. face — to confront
  14. current — of water
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. board — a committee
  18. current — electric
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pitch — completely

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