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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. squash — to crush
  3. spell — letters
  4. scale — in music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. court — of a king
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. squash — the sport
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spell — magic
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. row — a line
  23. rock — a stone
  24. court — for sport

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