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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 · snap · deal · board · club · hand · tube · jam

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. hand — help
  4. club — a group
  5. tube — a container
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. club — for golf
  9. board — a committee
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. snap — to click
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. hand — in cards
  20. tube — the underground
  21. board — to get on
  22. court — of law
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. deal — to handle

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