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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — low music
  5. rule — government
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. land — to come down
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. board — a committee
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rule — a law
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. row — a line
  18. board — to get on
  19. land — ground
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. land — a country
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ruler — a monarch

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