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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: mate · bat · court · pop · hide · suit · season · board

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. season — in sport
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — to get on
  6. court — for sport
  7. suit — clothes
  8. board — a committee
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. court — of law
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bat — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mate — a partner
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mate — to breed
  22. court — of a king
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pop — music

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