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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. charge — in control
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. race — humankind
  8. bark — to shout
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. race — a contest
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. race — the arms race
  21. charge — a price
  22. spring — of water
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. charge — electricity

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