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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. court — of a king
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chair — a leader
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. foot — a measure
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. court — for sport
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. court — of law
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. saw — the tool
  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