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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
468
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: perch · hide · court · ball · deal · current · rest · board

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — of a king
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ball — a great time
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. board — to get on
  11. current — electric
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. perch — the fish
  14. court — for sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rest — what's left
  17. current — of water
  18. rest — a break
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a dance
  22. court — of law
  23. board — a committee
  24. rest — what's left

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