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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: stick · court · bowl · can · spring · chest · row · bay

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. chest — a box
  7. spring — of water
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. row — a line
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spring — the season
  20. court — of law
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. can — to be able to
  24. row — a quarrel

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