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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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 football final
  2. rash — hasty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lean — thin
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mark — a trace
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mark — a grade
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rash — a series
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fine — all right
  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