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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. bank — of a river
  6. board — a committee
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — the season
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. roll — a list
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — a cake
  22. spring — of water
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wound — an injury

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