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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ground — a position
  6. bark — to shout
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ground — crushed
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. swing — music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. roll — a list
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bore — to drill
  23. roll — a cake
  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