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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. club — for golf
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. club — a group
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pop — to visit
  10. face — to confront
  11. row — a line
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pit — a hole
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pop — soda
  24. perch — the fish

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