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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bore — to tire
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. row — a line
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. shower — rain
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bore — to drill
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. scale — in music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. scale — size or range

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