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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. last — finally
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mug — to rob
  8. roll — a cake
  9. row — a line
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mug — a face
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pitch — completely
  15. last — to go on
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. roll — a list
  20. mug — a cup
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. last — final

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