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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pound — a weight
  3. current — of water
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cell — in biology
  6. current — electric
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. object — to protest
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. current — happening now
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. row — a line

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