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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: chair · pop · kick · drill · can · board · track · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. track — a song
  3. board — to get on
  4. court — for sport
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. kick — in football
  9. can — a tin
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — a committee
  14. court — of law
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pop — to visit
  18. can — to be able to
  19. track — a path
  20. drill — army training
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. chair — a leader
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chair — to sit on

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