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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bound — certain
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — tied together
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — ground
  14. rock — music
  15. row — a line
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. craft — boats
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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