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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — a committee
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — for sport
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cue — for pool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cue — a signal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. court — of law
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. board — to get on
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hand — in cards

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