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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bark — to shout
  4. row — a line
  5. rule — government
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — a match
  8. cue — a signal
  9. file — a tool
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rule — a law
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. file — a document
  18. cue — a hint
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. row — a quarrel

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