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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. track — a song
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. can — a tin
  6. club — a group
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mark — a trace
  10. track — a path
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. club — for golf
  16. mark — a grade
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. shower — to wash
  20. row — a line
  21. track — to keep track
  22. plane — a tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. shower — rain

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