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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. row — to paddle
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — a line
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mug — to rob
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. spell — letters
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mug — a face
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. row — a quarrel

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