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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. club — a group
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pit — in a race
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. pit — a hole
  14. court — for sport
  15. last — finally
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. board — a committee
  20. club — for golf
  21. shower — rain
  22. foot — a measure
  23. club — for dancing
  24. shower — to wash

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