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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ball — a dance
  8. row — a line
  9. content — happy
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pit — a hole
  12. hand — help
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pound — a weight
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. content — the amount
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. hand — part of the body

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