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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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. game — wild animals
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. face — to confront
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. board — a committee
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. band — a music group
  17. face — part of the head
  18. snap — to click
  19. band — a ring
  20. face — to point toward
  21. foot — a measure
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. band — a rubber band

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