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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. row — a line
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — a path
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wake — a trail
  9. row — to paddle
  10. net — for catching
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. net — after costs
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. charge — a price
  19. track — a song
  20. tube — a container
  21. net — in sport
  22. fine — all right
  23. charge — in control
  24. track — to keep track

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