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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.

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: lie · court · bat · board · mouse · bowl · staff · fall

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. board — a committee
  7. court — of law
  8. board — to get on
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. court — for sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fall — the season
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. staff — a stick
  19. court — of a king
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. lie — an untruth

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