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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. squash — to crush
  3. bound — certain
  4. rule — a law
  5. pitch — completely
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. present — there
  9. bound — obliged
  10. row — a line
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hand — help
  15. rule — government
  16. bound — tied together
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. hand — in cards
  23. squash — the sport
  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