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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. swing — music
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pitch — completely
  8. shower — rain
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ball — a great time
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ball — a dance
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ruler — for measuring

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