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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pop — music
  9. row — a line
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — of water
  24. bowl — a football final

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