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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: board · safe · club · cue · wind · ball · chair · court

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. club — for golf
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. court — of law
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. club — for dancing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — of a king
  17. ball — a great time
  18. board — a committee
  19. chair — a leader
  20. court — for sport
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. club — a group
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. safe — out of danger

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