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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mine — for digging
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. dip — to sink
  6. board — a committee
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. row — a line
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. board — to get on
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. plane — a tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. racket — a loud noise

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