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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. row — a line
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — happy
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mug — a face
  9. squash — to crush
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mug — to rob
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. content — the amount
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. club — for golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mug — a cup
  21. club — a group
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. squash — the sport

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