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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. firm — steady
  3. court — for sport
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. court — of law
  6. firm — a company
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of a king
  9. spell — magic
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. squash — to crush
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rock — music
  15. board — a committee
  16. rock — a stone
  17. content — the amount
  18. firm — decided
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spell — letters
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. content — happy
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cabinet — ministers

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