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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — a price
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cell — in biology
  13. court — of law
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. charge — in control
  19. object — to protest
  20. charge — electricity
  21. court — of a king
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. board — to get on

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