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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 · stick · rest · cue · wound · row · bear · pop

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — of law
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rest — a break
  8. row — a line
  9. court — for sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. court — of a king
  14. pop — soda
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. row — to paddle

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