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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rock — music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. firm — a company
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pop — soda
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pop — to visit
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. firm — steady
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ground — a position
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pop — music
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. row — a line
  20. firm — decided
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — crushed

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