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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ground — a position
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. swing — in golf
  7. row — a line
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. swing — music
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. racket — for tennis

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