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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. date — the fruit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rock — music
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mark — a trace
  17. court — of law
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. court — of a king
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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