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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. pop — music
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. spell — magic
  8. ball — a dance
  9. firm — decided
  10. spring — of water
  11. march — music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitch — completely
  15. march — the month
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. march — the month
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. spring — the season

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