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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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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: row · rock · arm · chair · can · tube · cabinet · fork

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. row — a line
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — a container
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rock — music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fork — in a road
  24. arm — a part of something

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