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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. field — farmland
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. field — a subject
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rock — music
  10. row — a line
  11. fall — the season
  12. field — for sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fall — to drop
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bore — to tire
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fall — to drop

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