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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. row — a line
  6. tear — from crying
  7. game — a match
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — in control
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. land — ground
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. land — to come down
  14. charge — electricity
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. net — for catching
  19. charge — a price
  20. land — a country
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — to rip
  24. game — a kind of play

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