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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. file — a tool
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. craft — boats
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. track — a path
  10. file — a document
  11. board — to get on
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. file — a line of people
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mate — a partner
  16. track — a song
  17. ball — a great time
  18. row — a line
  19. rush — hurry
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mate — to breed
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. board — a committee

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