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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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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: hide · wave · pitcher · firm · sharp · pop · board · court

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. firm — a company
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pop — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. court — of law
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. firm — steady
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. court — for sport
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pop — soda
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. court — of a king
  24. firm — decided

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