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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. court — of a king
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. court — of law
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. march — the month
  11. scale — in music
  12. court — for sport
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. scale — size or range
  24. racket — a loud noise

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