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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of a king
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cue — a signal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. plane — a tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. court — for sport
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. march — music
  23. court — of law
  24. bark — to shout

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