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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fine — all right
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. chest — a box
  5. squash — to crush
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fine — high quality
  9. race — the arms race
  10. row — a line
  11. stock — goods
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mug — a face
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. race — humankind
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. race — a contest

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