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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. present — there
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — to breed
  16. can — to be able to
  17. present — the time now
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — a gift
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pound — a weight
  24. jam — in traffic

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