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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. foot — a measure
  8. scale — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. key — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. key — the most important part
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. key — for a lock
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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