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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. court — of law
  4. bass — low music
  5. roll — a list
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spring — the season
  10. bass — the fish
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bear — the animal
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitch — completely
  20. spring — of water
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. roll — a cake
  24. board — to get on

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