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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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lean — thin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. staff — employees
  10. lean — to bend
  11. march — the month
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. staff — employees
  17. march — music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. board — a committee
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. board — to get on
  22. foot — a measure
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ground — crushed

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