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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rest — a break
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. degree — from a university
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bound — obliged
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bound — certain
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rest — what's left
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. craft — boats

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