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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ball — a great time
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. season — of the year
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mouse — the animal

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