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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
468
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: game · foot · leaves · track · ball · fan · stand · arm

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stand — to bear
  3. game — wild animals
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ball — a dance
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a song
  18. foot — a measure
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. game — a match
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a great time
  24. arm — a part of something

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