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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. court — of law
  3. row — to paddle
  4. track — a path
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. bound — tied together
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — of a king
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bound — certain
  15. object — an aim
  16. rock — music
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mark — a trace
  20. object — to protest
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rock — a stone
  23. court — for sport
  24. hide — animal skin

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