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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. swing — in golf
  8. club — a group
  9. land — a country
  10. club — for dancing
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. club — for golf
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fork — in a road
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. land — ground
  24. swing — 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