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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chip — to eat
  3. row — a line
  4. club — a group
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pop — soda
  7. rock — a stone
  8. club — for dancing
  9. chip — for betting
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. club — for golf
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pop — music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rock — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. prune — to trim

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