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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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