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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. row — to paddle
  3. net — in sport
  4. court — for sport
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. court — of law
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. net — after costs
  18. row — a line
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. net — for catching
  24. court — of a king

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