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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. game — wild animals
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. game — a match
  7. staff — employees
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. staff — employees
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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