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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: lean · track · court · pop · bore · mug · snap · row

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. court — of law
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lean — thin
  7. mug — a face
  8. pop — to visit
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. lean — to bend
  11. track — a path
  12. row — to paddle
  13. court — for sport
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mug — to rob
  17. row — a line
  18. bore — to drill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. court — of a king
  21. pop — music
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pop — soda
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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