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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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. cap — a lid
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. row — a line
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pass — a permit
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. club — for golf
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitch — a sports field

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