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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mark — a grade
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. row — to paddle
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bat — the animal
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a great time
  21. board — to get on
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. land — ground

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