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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. court — of law
  16. fine — all right
  17. court — of a king
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. court — for sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bark — to shout
  24. hide — to keep secret

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