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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 124 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pop — music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. track — a song
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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