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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 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. court — of a king
  3. swing — to play on
  4. face — part of the head
  5. last — to go on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. track — a path
  8. face — to confront
  9. suit — to fit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. suit — clothes
  12. track — a song
  13. swing — in golf
  14. last — finally
  15. swing — music
  16. last — final
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. court — for sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. row — a line
  21. track — to keep track
  22. court — of law
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ball — a great time

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