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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. row — to paddle
  5. court — for sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. charge — in control
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rest — a break
  11. court — of law
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — electricity
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stand — to bear
  16. court — of a king
  17. row — a line
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. charge — a price
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stand — on your feet
  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