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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. ground — a position
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. race — a contest
  14. mug — a face
  15. row — a line
  16. season — of the year
  17. spring — of water
  18. race — humankind
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ground — the earth
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. season — in sport
  24. mug — to rob

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