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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: pound · lean · hand · board · tube · court · wave · bay

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pound — a weight
  4. board — a committee
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. tube — a container
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. tube — the underground
  14. hand — help
  15. board — to get on
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lean — thin
  21. court — of law
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. court — of a king
  24. pound — for dogs

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