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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. field — a subject
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. field — for sport
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. row — a line
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. field — farmland
  20. pound — a weight
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. squash — the sport
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. prune — to trim

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