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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bass — low music
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ground — a position
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. charge — a price
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — in control
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bass — the fish
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. charge — electricity

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