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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — in cards
  5. spell — magic
  6. can — a tin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. spell — letters
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spell — a short time
  13. can — a tin
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bark — to shout
  18. chip — to eat
  19. board — a committee
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chip — for betting
  22. suit — to fit
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. board — to get on

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