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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bark — to shout
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pop — music
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — soda
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. coach — a trainer

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