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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stand — to bear
  4. track — to keep track
  5. court — of law
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. court — for sport
  8. spell — a short time
  9. track — a path
  10. hand — help
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. court — of a king
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. track — a song
  18. spell — magic
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spell — letters
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — gave birth

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