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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stock — goods
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitch — completely
  14. row — a line
  15. stock — shares
  16. object — a thing
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. object — an aim
  21. file — a document
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. file — a line of people

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