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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 116 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: pop · board · rush · hand · rest · mouse · present · court

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rest — a break
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. court — of law
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pop — soda
  10. present — the time now
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — to visit
  13. present — there
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. court — of a king
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — a gift
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pop — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. court — for sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hand — in cards

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