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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. board — a committee
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bat — the animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. field — a subject
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. game — wild animals
  19. field — farmland
  20. game — a match
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. field — for sport

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