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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: bowl · stand · field · game · ground · lash · trunk · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stand — to bear
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. field — farmland
  17. game — a match
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ground — a position
  24. foot — a measure

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