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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. court — for sport
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. court — of a king
  7. row — a line
  8. suit — to fit
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ground — crushed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. row — to paddle
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ground — a position
  20. foot — a measure
  21. court — of law
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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