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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rash — hasty
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rash — a series
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cue — a signal
  9. game — a match
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. row — to paddle
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cue — for pool
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stand — to bear
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. row — a line
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cue — a hint

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