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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. court — for sport
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. court — of law
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bound — obliged
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rash — a series
  9. row — a line
  10. stem — to come from
  11. club — for dancing
  12. row — to paddle
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. court — of a king
  19. club — for golf
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — a group
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stem — of a plant

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