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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bank — for money
  4. game — a match
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. court — for sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bank — of a river
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — a committee
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pass — to spend 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