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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. row — a line
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. kid — to tease
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. current — electric
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rest — a break
  16. content — happy
  17. current — happening now
  18. content — the amount
  19. rest — what's left
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. kid — child
  22. squash — to crush
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. current — of water

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