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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. track — a song
  3. court — of law
  4. track — to keep track
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. track — a path
  10. pop — soda
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. game — wild animals
  13. court — of a king
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. game — a match
  18. snap — to click
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. court — for sport
  23. pop — music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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