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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. track — a song
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — in sport
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a line
  12. track — a path
  13. season — of the year
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wind — moving air
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. racket — for tennis
  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