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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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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: wind · court · lie · pit · track · board · perch · fine

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wind — moving air
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. board — a committee
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — all right
  11. court — of a king
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. board — to get on
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wind — moving air
  24. court — for sport

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