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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: court · toast · capital · ball · board · arm · cabinet · mine

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. board — a committee
  5. court — of law
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. toast — bread
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mine — for digging
  15. capital — a city
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — to get on
  20. court — for sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ball — a great time
  23. capital — money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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