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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cap — a hat
  4. net — after costs
  5. vault — a safe
  6. row — a line
  7. net — in sport
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. tube — a container
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pound — a weight
  21. net — for catching
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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