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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. club — for golf
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. club — a group
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. row — a line
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. present — there
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rock — music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rash — a series
  23. hand — help
  24. club — for dancing

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