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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. swing — in golf
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. court — of law
  6. perch — the fish
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — an aim
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. lean — thin
  14. board — a committee
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. court — of a king
  18. swing — music
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spring — a coil
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. swing — to play 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