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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. court — of a king
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wound — an injury
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stand — to bear
  7. current — electric
  8. court — for sport
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. current — of water
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. board — to get on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. current — happening now
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. band — a ring
  21. court — of law
  22. band — a music group
  23. board — a flat piece
  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