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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
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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: game · court · club · board · row · tear · key · bulb

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. bulb — for light
  5. row — to paddle
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tear — from crying
  9. club — a group
  10. board — to get on
  11. tear — to rip
  12. court — for sport
  13. club — for dancing
  14. key — in music
  15. row — a line
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. game — wild animals
  18. board — a committee
  19. tear — from crying
  20. court — of law
  21. club — for golf
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bulb — for light

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