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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. net — in sport
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ball — a great time
  11. net — for catching
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — a trace
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. game — a match
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. game — wild animals
  22. net — after costs
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. charge — in control

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