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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. board — to get on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. board — a committee
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. court — of law
  15. drill — the tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chair — a leader
  20. swing — music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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