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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 · bay · row · leaves · mug · court · fan · mouse

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. court — of law
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — of a king
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — a cup
  14. row — a line
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. court — for sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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