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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. board — a committee
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. scale — in music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. court — of law
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. court — of a king
  24. bear — the animal

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