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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — letters
  5. row — a line
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. track — a song
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wax — to grow
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — a short time
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spell — magic
  17. bass — low music
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. track — a path

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