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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. firm — steady
  5. swing — to play on
  6. firm — decided
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lean — thin
  9. firm — a company
  10. fine — all right
  11. court — for sport
  12. fine — high quality
  13. snap — to click
  14. lean — to bend
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. row — to paddle
  21. court — of law
  22. row — a line
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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