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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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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: rock · band · board · game · safe · kick · court · wave

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. rock — a stone
  4. band — a music group
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. game — a match
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. game — wild animals
  17. kick — in football
  18. court — of a king
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rock — music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. game — a kind of play

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