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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rash — hasty
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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