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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: wave · wake · date · row · roll · court · swing · foot

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. foot — a measure
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. swing — music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. court — of law
  13. wake — a trail
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. roll — a cake
  18. court — for sport
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. court — of a king
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. roll — a list
  24. row — a line

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