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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: fine · game · hide · tear · court · board · firm · swing

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. board — a committee
  3. fine — high quality
  4. court — for sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. court — of a king
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. court — of law
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fine — all right
  12. swing — to play on
  13. game — wild animals
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. swing — in golf
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. swing — music
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. board — to get on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. firm — steady

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