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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. land — ground
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fall — the season
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. bulb — for light
  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