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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. plane — a tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. court — of a king
  7. board — to get on
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. row — a line
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rock — music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. board — a committee
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hand — help
  22. staff — employees
  23. rock — a stone
  24. staff — a stick

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