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

Word bank: pit · foot · face · stand · club · mate · staff · court

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. court — for sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. court — of law
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stand — to bear
  12. face — to confront
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mate — to breed
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. court — of a king
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pit — in a race
  20. club — for dancing
  21. staff — employees
  22. face — part of the head
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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