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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. roll — a cake
  3. row — a line
  4. last — to go on
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. last — finally
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. track — a song
  12. scale — in music
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. prune — to trim
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. last — final
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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