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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ball — a dance
  4. court — of a king
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hand — help
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. current — of water
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bass — low music
  12. current — happening now
  13. ball — a great time
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. court — of law
  18. bass — the fish
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. current — electric
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. court — for sport
  24. bowl — a football final

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