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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. craft — boats
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. season — of the year
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ground — the earth
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ball — a dance
  24. season — in sport

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