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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. court — of law
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. court — for sport
  21. rock — a stone
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. court — of a king

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