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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. land — to come down
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. object — to protest
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. file — a line of people
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. hand — help
  14. row — a line
  15. file — a document
  16. bulb — for light
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. land — a country
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. land — ground
  23. file — a tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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