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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. shower — rain
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. row — a line
  13. face — to confront
  14. mug — a face
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mug — to rob
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. perch — the fish
  22. shower — to wash
  23. chip — to eat
  24. perch — for a bird

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