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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. track — to keep track
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitch — completely
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. track — a song
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — all right
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bound — tied together
  18. track — a path
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. row — a line
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — clever

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