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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. court — for sport
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. court — of a king
  7. board — a committee
  8. swing — music
  9. stock — goods
  10. swing — in golf
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. court — of law
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pass — a permit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stock — shares
  23. board — to get on
  24. row — a line

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