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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.

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: roll · season · shower · bay · chip · court · board · club

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. shower — rain
  3. court — of a king
  4. season — of the year
  5. club — a group
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. club — for dancing
  8. shower — to wash
  9. chip — to eat
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. court — for sport
  13. club — for golf
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. court — of law
  22. board — a committee
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. board — to get on

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