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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pop — music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. swing — music
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pop — soda
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. row — a line
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a committee
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pop — to visit
  16. swing — to play on
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. root — of a word
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pass — a permit
  24. perch — for a bird

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