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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. present — the time now
  6. ball — a dance
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. race — a contest
  11. present — there
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. face — to confront
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bark — to shout
  18. race — humankind
  19. face — to point toward
  20. present — a gift
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fall — the season
  23. field — a subject
  24. fall — to drop

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