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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — after costs
  11. row — a line
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. file — a document
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bat — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — certain
  24. nail — on a finger

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