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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: stick · board · wound · firm · court · ball · shower · leaves

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. ball — a great time
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. court — for sport
  6. wound — an injury
  7. board — a committee
  8. firm — decided
  9. court — of a king
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wound — an injury
  14. firm — steady
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — to get on
  19. firm — a company
  20. ball — a dance
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. court — of law
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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