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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hand — help
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bark — to shout
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — to bear
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. foot — part of the body

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