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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. row — a line
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. game — wild animals
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. game — a match
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wake — a trail
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fine — all right
  17. cap — a hat
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cap — of ice
  22. land — to come down
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bore — to tire

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