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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fine — high quality
  7. club — a group
  8. wake — a trail
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. court — of law
  13. club — for golf
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — for sport
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. court — of a king
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — all right
  22. can — to be able to
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. can — a tin

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