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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spring — a coil
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. spring — of water
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. date — the fruit
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fine — high quality
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — the season
  18. row — a line
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fine — all right
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cue — for pool

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