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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. current — electric
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. net — after costs
  8. track — a path
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. current — of water
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. net — in sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. track — to keep track
  16. net — for catching
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. club — for golf
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — a song
  24. current — happening now

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