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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rush — hurry
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pop — soda
  12. row — a line
  13. pop — music
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pitch — completely
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — to visit
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bound — tied together

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