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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 120 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: hand · leaves · board · present · snap · court · bowl · bat

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. present — the time now
  3. court — of a king
  4. board — a committee
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bat — the animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. present — there
  13. snap — to click
  14. court — of law
  15. present — a gift
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. board — to get on
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. hand — part of the body

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