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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pop — soda
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pop — to visit
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. net — for catching
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pop — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. vault — a safe
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fine — all right
  18. row — a line
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wave — of the sea

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