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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bore — to drill
  5. capital — money
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fine — high quality
  8. board — to get on
  9. game — wild animals
  10. shower — rain
  11. capital — a city
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mark — a grade
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. court — for sport
  17. board — a committee
  18. mark — a trace
  19. game — a match
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fine — all right
  24. court — of law

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