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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bat — the animal
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. club — for golf
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chair — a leader
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. mark — a grade
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. scale — in music
  21. club — a group
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. leaves — to go away

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