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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. content — the amount
  7. last — finally
  8. drill — army training
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bat — the animal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. row — a line
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. last — to go on
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mug — a face
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. content — happy
  24. last — final

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