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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 124 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. board — to get on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ground — the earth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. ground — a position
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. club — a group
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. club — for dancing
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. suit — in cards
  22. club — for golf
  23. board — a committee
  24. court — of a king

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