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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. track — a path
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fall — the season
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. foot — a measure
  23. board — a committee
  24. racket — for tennis

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