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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rash — a series
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. row — to paddle
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. net — for catching
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rash — hasty
  17. net — in sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a great time
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. net — after costs
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. row — a line

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