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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 120 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 will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. board — a committee
  10. suit — in cards
  11. snap — to click
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. board — to get on
  15. suit — clothes
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. field — farmland
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ball — a dance

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