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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. track — a path
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kick — in football
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. row — to paddle

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