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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rash — a series
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. last — finally
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. last — to go on
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — final
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bear — 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