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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. last — finally
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. last — final
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. can — a tin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hand — in cards
  16. roll — a cake
  17. can — a tin
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. vault — a safe
  21. last — to go on
  22. track — a song
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — a path

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