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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
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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: mouse · row · patient · game · plane · board · suit · court

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. board — a committee
  6. court — of a king
  7. suit — in cards
  8. court — of law
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. plane — a tool
  12. game — a match
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. row — to paddle
  17. court — for sport
  18. game — wild animals
  19. board — to get on
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. row — a line
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. plane — an aircraft

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