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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. land — a country
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. land — to come down
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. land — ground
  24. pop — music

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