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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. key — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — of the year
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. season — in sport
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. court — of law
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. board — a committee
  22. plane — a tool
  23. board — to get on
  24. court — for sport

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