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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 116 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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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: fork · board · court · row · tear · racket · bay · mate

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. tear — to rip
  4. court — of law
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tear — from crying
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fork — in a road
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — to get on
  16. court — of a king
  17. mate — a partner
  18. board — a committee
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tear — from crying
  22. court — for sport
  23. mate — a friend
  24. board — a flat piece

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