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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · row · mark · stick · board · last · content · pound

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — the amount
  7. net — in sport
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. last — final
  10. board — a committee
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — for catching
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. content — happy
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. last — finally
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. board — to get on
  21. pound — a weight
  22. last — to go on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. net — after costs

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