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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. court — of law
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. ground — the earth
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ground — crushed
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — in a road
  15. court — of a king
  16. staff — a stick
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. court — for sport
  24. bat — the animal

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