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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. land — to come down
  5. rash — a series
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. spell — magic
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stand — to bear
  15. land — a country
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rash — hasty
  23. land — ground
  24. rock — to move gently

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