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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. game — wild animals
  6. plane — a tool
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. game — a match
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. row — a line
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cue — a hint
  17. can — to be able to
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. can — a tin
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cue — a signal
  23. can — a tin
  24. saw — the tool

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