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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. board — to get on
  3. court — for sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. board — a committee
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. court — of law
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. court — of a king
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. kick — in football
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lean — thin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. lean — to bend

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