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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. march — music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stock — goods
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. march — the month
  14. root — the cause
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — of a word
  18. row — a line
  19. march — the month
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. perch — for a bird

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