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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hand — in cards
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. court — of a king
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. scale — in music
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. court — of law
  13. track — a path
  14. board — a committee
  15. scale — size or range
  16. court — for sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. hand — help

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