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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. key — the most important part
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spell — magic
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. key — for a lock
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitch — completely
  19. key — in music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. suit — in cards
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. suit — to fit

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