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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a music group
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. band — a ring
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. perch — the fish
  24. land — a country

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