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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bark — to shout
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — a stone
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bound — obliged
  14. game — a match
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bound — certain
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pass — a permit
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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