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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. row — a line
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. current — electric
  8. season — of the year
  9. current — of water
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. season — in sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. row — to paddle
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. current — happening now
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pop — music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. roll — a list

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