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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. game — a match
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a great time
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a line
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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