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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. race — a contest
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. race — the arms race
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. club — a group
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. club — for golf
  21. row — a line
  22. club — for dancing
  23. race — humankind
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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