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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · court · pitch · board · spell · land · rest · lash

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. land — ground
  3. pitch — completely
  4. land — a country
  5. board — a committee
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. spell — magic
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — letters
  11. court — of a king
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rest — a break
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. court — for sport
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. court — of law
  23. land — to come down
  24. board — to get on

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