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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. squash — the sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mine — for digging
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mine — belonging to me

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