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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rock — a stone
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. scale — in music
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. swing — music
  8. rock — music
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rush — hurry
  17. row — a line
  18. swing — to play on
  19. roll — a cake
  20. scale — size or range
  21. swing — in golf
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. roll — a list
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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