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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. land — a country
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. board — to get on
  5. face — to point toward
  6. object — a thing
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — to come down
  9. perch — the fish
  10. face — to confront
  11. court — of law
  12. land — ground
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. court — of a king
  18. object — an aim
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. object — to protest
  22. cue — a hint
  23. board — a committee
  24. cue — for pool

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