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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. band — a ring
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. band — a music group
  11. tube — a container
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. scale — size or range
  16. net — after costs
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. land — to come down
  19. net — in sport
  20. land — ground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. net — for catching
  24. scale — for weighing

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