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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pound — a weight
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. row — a line
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — a trace
  7. season — in sport
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. season — of the year
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mark — a grade
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bank — of a river
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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