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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — size or range
  4. object — a thing
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. track — a song
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. scale — in music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. track — a path
  15. object — to protest
  16. ball — a great time
  17. track — to keep track
  18. root — the cause
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. object — an aim
  21. row — a line
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — a supporter

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