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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fall — the season
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spring — of water
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. spring — the season
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. mark — a trace
  13. court — of law
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fall — to drop
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. board — a committee
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — to pay attention

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