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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 116 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. game — a match
  10. track — a song
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. press — a publisher
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. game — wild animals
  17. press — to push
  18. court — of law
  19. track — a path
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. press — newspapers
  22. track — to keep track
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. court — of a king

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