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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. court — for sport
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. court — of a king
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bore — to drill
  14. suit — in cards
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bore — to tire
  20. suit — clothes
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. dip — to sink

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