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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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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: cabinet · rest · hand · foot · court · nail · row · roll

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. roll — a list
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rest — what's left
  9. row — a line
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. court — of a king
  12. hand — help
  13. rest — a break
  14. hand — in cards
  15. court — of law
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. roll — a cake
  21. court — for sport
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. roll — on a roll

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