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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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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: can · row · pop · rule · coach · bowl · last · bat

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. row — a line
  3. last — to go on
  4. row — to paddle
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pop — soda
  11. rule — a law
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. last — finally
  14. pop — to visit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rule — government
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bat — the animal
  23. last — final
  24. bat — in an idiom

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