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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fall — to drop
  4. court — of a king
  5. mate — a friend
  6. court — of law
  7. board — a committee
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pitch — completely
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. drill — army training
  13. court — for sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — the tool
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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