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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. row — to paddle
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. rock — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. march — music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. march — the month
  13. row — a line
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. march — the month
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ground — the earth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. racket — for tennis

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