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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. row — a line
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — the most important part
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. key — in music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. track — a song

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