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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. date — the fruit
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. club — a group
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ground — a position
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bound — certain
  10. ground — the earth
  11. club — for golf
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ground — crushed
  17. club — for dancing
  18. row — a line

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