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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. board — to get on
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. court — for sport
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — of law
  24. foot — a measure

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