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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pop — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — in sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — after costs
  12. season — of the year
  13. pop — to visit
  14. net — for catching
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ruler — for measuring

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