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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: board · track · bowl · perch · spring · bear · court · calf

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. track — a path
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. court — of a king
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. board — a committee
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. track — to keep track
  17. spring — of water
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. court — for sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — a song
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bowl — to roll

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