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

Word bank: court · row · date · rest · firm · rock · lean · kick

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. firm — decided
  3. row — a line
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lean — thin
  6. firm — steady
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. date — the fruit
  9. court — for sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. firm — a company
  12. rest — what's left
  13. court — of law
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rock — a stone
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rest — a break
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rock — music
  23. kick — in football
  24. date — on the calendar

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