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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. scale — in music
  4. cue — a signal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bound — certain
  10. firm — a company
  11. row — to paddle
  12. firm — steady
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bound — tied together
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. row — a line
  18. firm — decided
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bowl — a dish

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