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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · jam · court · shower · wake · row · dip · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. shower — rain
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wake — a trail
  5. row — a line
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. row — to paddle
  8. dip — to sink
  9. shower — to wash
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. board — to get on
  16. court — of a king
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. dip — to dunk

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