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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 120 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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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: court · rest · foot · pitcher · stand · current · arm · bat

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. court — of law
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — what's left
  8. court — for sport
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. current — of water
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — happening now
  14. rest — a break
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. court — of a king
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. current — electric
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rest — what's left

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