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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mark — a trace
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pop — music
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stem — to come from
  13. row — a line
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pop — soda
  23. mark — a grade
  24. foot — a measure

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