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

Word bank: court · wind · key · roll · board · bay · bore · pitch

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. court — for sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. roll — a cake
  4. key — in music
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. court — of law
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. court — of a king
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bore — to tire
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. roll — a list
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pitch — completely
  21. board — to get on
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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