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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. row — a line
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chip — to eat
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. row — to paddle
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bore — to tire
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pound — to hit hard

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