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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rule — government
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pass — a permit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rule — a law
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fork — to eat with

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