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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. board — to get on
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fine — high quality
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cap — a hat
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. object — an aim
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. row — to paddle
  19. board — a committee
  20. object — a thing
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. row — a line
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fine — all right

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