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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 120 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 · march · board · row · fall · safe · bowl · chip

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. march — the month
  4. chip — for betting
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. court — for sport
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. court — of law
  11. row — to paddle
  12. court — of a king
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. march — the month
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. row — a line
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. chip — to eat
  24. march — music

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