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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wax — to grow
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fork — in a road
  6. board — a committee
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. board — to get on
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. row — a line
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. foot — a measure

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