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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hand — help
  4. staff — employees
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. game — a match
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. game — wild animals
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — hurry
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hand — in cards
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. row — a line
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. toast — bread
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pitch — completely
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. row — a quarrel

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