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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · court · suit · drill · leaves · object · board · chest

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. object — a thing
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. suit — clothes
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. object — to protest
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. suit — to fit
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. suit — in cards
  13. board — to get on
  14. chest — of your body
  15. drill — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. chest — a box
  19. drill — army training
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. court — for sport
  22. chest — of your body
  23. drill — a practice
  24. board — a committee

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