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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. court — of law
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. firm — decided
  9. fine — all right
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chest — a box
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. firm — steady
  21. mark — a grade
  22. firm — a company
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chest — of your body

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