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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mark — a trace
  4. game — a match
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rock — a stone
  7. season — in sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. season — of the year
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rest — what's left
  18. row — a line
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — a break
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rock — music

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