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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. net — in sport
  4. board — a committee
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. court — of a king
  7. chair — a leader
  8. net — after costs
  9. board — to get on
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. court — for sport
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wound — an injury
  19. court — of law
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. net — for catching
  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