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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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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pop — to visit
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. court — for sport
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. board — to get on
  13. court — of law
  14. chest — of your body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — music
  17. board — a committee
  18. chest — a box
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pop — soda
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. staff — a stick
  24. chest — of your body

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