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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 120 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. land — ground
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pit — a hole
  6. row — a line
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pass — a permit
  10. land — a country
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. land — to come down
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pass — to succeed

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