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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. roll — a list
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. row — a line
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rock — music
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. toast — bread
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pit — in a race
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fork — in a road
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rock — to move gently

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