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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mark — a grade
  3. row — a line
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. spell — magic
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spell — letters
  14. court — of law
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fork — in a road
  17. perch — the fish
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mark — a trace
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. perch — for a bird

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