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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. swing — music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. season — in sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. present — the time now
  19. season — of the year
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — an untruth

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