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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spring — of water
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spring — the season
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rock — music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. craft — boats
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rock — a stone
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rock — to move gently

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