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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: court · board · nail · degree · lie · rash · mouse · object

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — to get on
  8. rash — hasty
  9. board — a committee
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. object — to protest
  13. court — of law
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rash — a series
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lie — to recline
  24. degree — an amount

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