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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: board · court · stem · bay · swing · hide · bowl · mine

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. swing — music
  8. court — of law
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stem — to come from
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. court — for sport
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. board — to get on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. court — of a king

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