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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. face — to confront
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. game — wild animals
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fine — all right
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bark — to shout
  16. game — a match
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fine — high quality
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bowl — a dish

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