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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. board — a committee
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. court — of a king
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. land — to come down
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. board — to get on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. deal — to handle

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