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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — a committee
  3. court — of a king
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. court — for sport
  7. board — to get on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. tube — a container
  11. court — of law
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. snap — to click
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitcher — a jug

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