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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. clip — for paper
  5. firm — a company
  6. clip — a video
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. current — electric
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fine — high quality
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. fine — all right
  14. scale — size or range
  15. firm — decided
  16. row — a line
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. scale — in music
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mark — a trace
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. firm — steady
  24. fine — a penalty

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