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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. land — a country
  3. cue — for pool
  4. land — to come down
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rule — government
  11. land — ground
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cue — a hint
  14. row — a line
  15. bass — low music
  16. drill — army training
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. drill — a practice
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rule — a law

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