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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. row — to paddle
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. race — humankind
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. lean — to bend
  9. race — the arms race
  10. foot — a measure
  11. court — of law
  12. season — of the year
  13. court — for sport
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lean — thin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. race — a contest
  24. mouse — the animal

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