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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. kid — child
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pop — to visit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. kid — to tease
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bear — the animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. row — a line
  19. pop — music
  20. roll — a list
  21. chair — a leader
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pop — soda
  24. jam — in traffic

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