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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. club — for dancing
  3. firm — steady
  4. club — a group
  5. track — to keep track
  6. firm — a company
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pitch — completely
  13. track — a path
  14. firm — decided
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fork — in a road
  17. club — for golf
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. track — a song
  20. plane — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. row — a line
  24. prune — to trim

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