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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. court — of law
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. last — final
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. court — for sport
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — in cards
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of a king
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. can — to be able to
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bat — the animal
  20. hand — help
  21. last — finally
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. row — a line
  24. last — to go on

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