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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. scale — size or range
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. suit — in cards
  6. net — after costs
  7. row — a line
  8. rock — music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. net — for catching
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. suit — clothes
  15. sharp — clever
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rock — a stone
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. scale — in music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. net — in sport

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