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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: bowl · row · leaves · court · dip · ball · band · track

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. row — to paddle
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. row — a line
  7. band — a music group
  8. ball — a great time
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. dip — to sink
  12. track — a song
  13. band — a ring
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. track — a path
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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