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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. swing — to play on
  4. court — of a king
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — of law
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. court — for sport
  13. row — a line
  14. track — a path
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. track — a song
  20. swing — music
  21. track — to keep track
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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