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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. roll — a cake
  3. court — of law
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. content — the amount
  11. board — to get on
  12. present — there
  13. court — for sport
  14. present — the time now
  15. board — a committee
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. present — a gift
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. roll — a list
  20. rock — a stone
  21. content — happy
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. court — of a king
  24. rock — music

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