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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. court — for sport
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. squash — to crush
  5. court — of a king
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. present — a gift
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. row — a line
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. can — to be able to
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. present — there
  22. squash — the sport
  23. row — to paddle
  24. court — of law

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