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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. content — the amount
  4. fine — high quality
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. content — happy
  9. track — a path
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. track — to keep track
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. court — for sport
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fine — all right

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