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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — a path
  3. row — to paddle
  4. swing — music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. board — to get on
  7. mug — to rob
  8. shower — to wash
  9. track — to keep track
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pitch — completely
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. row — a line
  20. track — a song
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. dip — to sink
  23. swing — to play on
  24. board — a committee

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