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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. firm — steady
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. spring — a coil
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. firm — decided
  9. cap — a hat
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitch — completely
  16. firm — a company
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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