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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. suit — clothes
  6. board — to get on
  7. court — of a king
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. board — a committee
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. foot — a measure
  13. suit — to fit
  14. court — of law
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. snap — to click
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wind — moving air
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. suit — in cards
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wind — moving air
  24. court — for sport

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