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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: mark · board · court · pitch · game · fan · patient · bulb

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitch — completely
  4. court — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. court — of law
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. board — to get on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. court — of a king

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