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

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mate — a partner
  3. board — a committee
  4. mate — to breed
  5. board — to get on
  6. court — for sport
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. court — of a king
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mate — a friend
  18. tube — a container

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