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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bark — to shout
  4. club — for dancing
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ball — a dance
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mate — a friend
  12. can — to be able to
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mate — to breed
  15. sharp — clever
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. club — a group
  22. can — a tin
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. land — to come down

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