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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. can — a tin
  3. court — of law
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. march — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. face — to confront
  13. track — a song
  14. fine — all right
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. march — the month
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. track — a path
  21. fine — high quality
  22. track — to keep track
  23. row — a line
  24. march — the month

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