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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 124 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. court — of law
  3. roll — a list
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — a song
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. last — finally
  9. court — for sport
  10. last — final
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. last — to go on
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. hand — help
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. court — of a king
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. track — a path
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. hand — in cards

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