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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. court — of law
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a committee
  6. hand — help
  7. current — happening now
  8. board — to get on
  9. net — for catching
  10. court — of a king
  11. net — in sport
  12. stand — to bear
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — electric
  20. court — for sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — of water

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