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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: scale · fan · squash · firm · present · rule · pitcher · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. scale — in music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — steady
  10. rule — government
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. present — a gift
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. firm — decided
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. row — a line
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. scale — size or range
  21. firm — a company
  22. squash — to crush
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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