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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: court · deal · spell · hide · club · bore · stand · wave

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — a group
  7. spell — letters
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spell — magic
  16. court — for sport
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spell — a short time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. court — of law
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. club — for dancing
  24. court — of a king

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