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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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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: hide · board · court · safe · clip · deal · key · rest

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. board — to get on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — to cut
  6. deal — to handle
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. key — in music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. court — for sport
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. court — of law
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. board — a committee
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. court — of a king
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — what's left

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