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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: court · spell · rush · row · fine · board · march · mouse

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. march — music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fine — all right
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. board — to get on
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — a line
  13. march — the month
  14. spell — letters
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. spell — magic
  20. march — the month
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. court — of law

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