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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 116 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. land — a country
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rash — a series
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rash — hasty
  12. band — a music group
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. degree — temperature
  16. band — a ring
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — ground
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. land — to come down
  24. cue — a hint

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