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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. kid — child
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. row — to paddle
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bound — certain
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bound — obliged
  18. net — in sport
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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