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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mate — a partner
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. row — a line
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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