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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ground — the earth
  3. row — to paddle
  4. swing — to play on
  5. track — a path
  6. hand — help
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. row — a line
  9. ground — crushed
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. swing — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — to keep track
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ground — a position
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — obliged
  20. swing — in golf
  21. track — a song
  22. bound — certain
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bound — tied together

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