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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bore — to tire
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. row — to paddle
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. board — to get on
  13. can — a tin
  14. chair — a leader
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — a committee
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — to drill
  21. suit — in cards
  22. row — a line
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. suit — clothes

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