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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. court — for sport
  5. club — for dancing
  6. court — of law
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. club — for golf
  9. pop — soda
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pop — music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. drill — army training
  17. pop — to visit
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. face — to point toward
  20. court — of a king
  21. face — part of the head
  22. row — a line
  23. club — a group
  24. face — to confront

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