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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. row — to paddle
  6. board — a committee
  7. tube — a container
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. row — a line
  13. tube — the underground
  14. foot — a measure
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pop — soda
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pop — to visit
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mate — a friend
  24. foot — part of the body

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