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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bark — to shout
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. last — to go on
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ball — a dance
  10. last — final
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ball — a great time
  14. last — finally
  15. season — of the year
  16. present — the time now
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. present — a gift
  20. season — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. racket — a loud noise

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