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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. court — of a king
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — to get on
  12. court — of law
  13. stock — goods
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mate — a partner
  18. board — a committee
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stock — shares
  23. court — for sport
  24. mate — a friend

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