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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 116 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. row — to paddle
  5. track — a path
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. game — a match
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. charge — in control
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. track — to keep track
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mine — for digging
  20. track — a song
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. row — a line

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