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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mate — a friend
  4. suit — to fit
  5. swing — in golf
  6. board — a committee
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. board — to get on
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mate — to breed
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mate — a partner
  19. can — a tin
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. suit — clothes
  23. swing — music
  24. suit — in cards

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