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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. can — a tin
  4. court — of a king
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. court — of law
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fine — all right
  10. can — a tin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fine — high quality
  20. court — for sport
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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