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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rush — hurry
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. row — a line
  9. board — to get on
  10. date — the fruit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a committee
  13. rock — a stone
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. can — to be able to
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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