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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — for sport
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. field — a subject
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. field — farmland
  24. fan — to cool the air

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