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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. club — for golf
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fall — to drop
  10. row — a line
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. club — a group
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. sharp — clever
  24. toast — the most admired

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