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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. field — for sport
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. court — of law
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rest — what's left
  9. firm — decided
  10. row — a line
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — for pool
  13. firm — a company
  14. cue — a signal
  15. court — of a king
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — a break
  19. court — for sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. firm — steady
  22. rest — what's left
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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