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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ground — a position
  5. snap — to click
  6. row — a line
  7. drill — army training
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ground — crushed
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bank — of a river
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. drill — the tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bank — for money
  20. court — of law
  21. drill — a practice
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. jam — a tight spot

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