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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. march — music
  3. board — a committee
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. court — of a king
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — shares
  8. key — in music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. court — for sport
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. board — to get on
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stock — goods
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bass — low music
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — a football final

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