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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. firm — a company
  6. court — of a king
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wound — an injury
  9. board — to get on
  10. scale — in music
  11. court — of law
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. court — for sport
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. staff — employees
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. board — a committee

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