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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. foot — a measure
  4. band — a music group
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rock — a stone
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. charge — a price
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — in control
  19. rock — music
  20. row — a line
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. charge — electricity

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