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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — in football
  5. row — a line
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. foot — a measure
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. game — a match
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. kick — a thrill

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