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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pop — soda
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. charge — in control
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. spring — of water
  18. cue — for pool
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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