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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. track — to keep track
  3. club — for golf
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. club — for dancing
  7. court — of a king
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. suit — in cards
  10. track — a song
  11. suit — clothes
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. club — a group
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. court — for sport
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. court — of law
  22. track — a path
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bowl — a football final

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