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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 120 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mate — to breed
  10. spring — the season
  11. mate — a partner
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spring — of water
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rule — a law
  18. field — a subject
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mark — a grade
  22. field — farmland
  23. rule — government
  24. field — for sport

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