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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bark — to shout
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. row — a line
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rash — hasty
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pop — music
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fine — high quality
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. craft — boats
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. land — ground
  21. pop — soda
  22. rash — a series
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fine — all right

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