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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. squash — to crush
  4. drill — a practice
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — to get on
  8. object — an aim
  9. spring — of water
  10. object — to protest
  11. staff — employees
  12. court — of a king
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. board — a committee
  16. ball — a dance
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ball — a great time

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