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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: ground · bay · leaves · stick · row · foot · march · rock

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rock — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. march — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ground — a position
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rock — to move gently

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