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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fork — in a road
  3. row — a line
  4. hand — in cards
  5. club — a group
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. club — for golf
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. game — a match
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cell — a phone
  16. hand — help
  17. cell — in biology
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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