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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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. ball — a great time
  4. tube — a container
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mug — a cup
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fork — in a road
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pound — a weight
  21. row — a line
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mug — a face
  24. key — in music

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