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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. court — of law
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. board — a committee
  5. court — for sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ground — a position
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. board — to get on
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. court — of a king
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — to hurry

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