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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: pit · dip · game · perch · sharp · rule · row · plane

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. game — wild animals
  5. row — to paddle
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rule — government
  13. game — a match
  14. plane — a tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. perch — the fish
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rule — a law

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