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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. court — of law
  3. row — a line
  4. board — a committee
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. court — of a king
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wind — moving air
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitch — completely
  16. board — to get on
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stand — to bear
  19. court — for sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wind — to turn a key

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