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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. board — to get on
  3. pop — soda
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. row — a line
  9. ground — a position
  10. hand — help
  11. pop — to visit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pop — music
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — a committee
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. row — a quarrel

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