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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. club — a group
  3. game — wild animals
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. club — for golf
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. club — for dancing
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pop — music
  11. date — the fruit
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pop — to visit
  14. row — a line
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. game — a match
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pop — soda
  24. bowl — a football final

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