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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. track — a path
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rash — a series
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. track — a song

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