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

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pop — soda
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pop — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — to visit
  24. leaves — of a tree

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