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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bound — certain
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bound — tied together
  5. row — a line
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rule — government
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. club — for golf
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rule — a law
  16. club — a group
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — obliged

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