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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wake — a trail
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pit — a hole
  14. row — a line
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. current — happening now
  18. pit — in a race
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. row — to paddle
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. pitcher — a jug

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