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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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. field — for sport
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — a country
  9. net — in sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. land — to come down
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — farmland
  15. net — after costs
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. land — ground
  19. game — a match
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. row — a quarrel

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