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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. court — of a king
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rock — music
  9. court — for sport
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. scale — in music
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. court — of law
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stand — to bear
  22. scale — size or range
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. vault — a safe

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