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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. court — of law
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. staff — a stick
  5. court — of a king
  6. ball — a dance
  7. track — to keep track
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — a trace
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — a path
  17. court — for sport
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ball — a great time
  20. staff — employees
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. track — a song
  24. staff — employees

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