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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. row — a line
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. current — of water
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. deal — to handle
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bat — the animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. current — electric
  21. court — of law
  22. current — happening now
  23. court — for sport
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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