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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rest — what's left
  7. prune — to trim
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. row — a line
  15. perch — the fish
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. scale — in music
  24. deal — an agreement

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