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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: hide · snap · court · bowl · deal · mark · track · bat

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — a path
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mark — a grade
  10. deal — to handle
  11. track — a song
  12. snap — to click
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. court — of a king
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mark — a trace

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